Standard Lemma guide

individual

adj · noun · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪndɪˈvɪd͡ʒʊəl/ yod-coalescence
  • /ɪndɪˈvɪd͡ʒʊl/ yod-coalescence
  • /ɪndɪˈvɪdjʊəl/ no yod-coalescence
  • /ɪndɪˈvɪdjʊl/ no yod-coalescence
  • General-American: /ˌɪndɪˈvɪd͡ʒ(u)əl/
  • General-American: /ˌɪndə-/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N D AH0 V IH1 JH AH0 W AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Relating to a single person or thing as opposed to more than one.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: individuated, solitary, self-standing, freestanding
  • As we can't print them all together, the individual pages will have to be printed one by one.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: single, individuated, solitary, self-standing, freestanding

Antonyms: collective

2

adj

Meaning 2

Intended for a single person as opposed to more than one person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • individual personal pension
  • individual cream cakes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: personal, single

Antonyms: group, joint, shared, collective

3

adj

Meaning 3

Not divisible without losing its identity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: unatomizable, indivisible, undividable

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unatomizable, indivisible, undividable

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A person considered alone, rather than as belonging to a group of people.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He is an unusual individual.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A single physical human being as a legal subject, as opposed to a legal person such as a corporation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

An object, be it a thing or an agent, as contrasted to a class.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

An element belonging to a population.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences, statistics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective

Meaning 8

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • individual drops of rain
  • please mark the individual pages
  • they went their individual ways

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: single

Antonyms: common

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

separate and distinct from others of the same kind

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • mark the individual pages
  • on a case-by-case basis

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: case-by-case, item-by-item

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

characteristic of or meant for a single person or thing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an individual serving
  • single occupancy
  • a single bed

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: single(a)

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

a human being

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • there was too much for one person to do

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: person, someone, somebody, mortal, soul

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: organism, being, causal agent, cause, causal agency

Narrower terms: self, adult, grownup, adventurer, venturer, anomaly, unusual person, applicant, applier, appointee, appointment, capitalist, captor, capturer, changer, modifier, color-blind person, commoner, common man, common person, communicator, contestant, coward, creator, disputant, controversialist, eristic, engineer, applied scientist, technologist, entertainer, experimenter, expert, face, female, female person, individualist, inhabitant, habitant, dweller, denizen, indweller, native, indigen, indigene, aborigine, aboriginal, innocent, inexperienced person, intellectual, intellect, juvenile, juvenile person, lover, loved one, leader, male, male person, money handler, money dealer, national, subject, nonreligious person, nonworker, peer, equal, match, compeer, perceiver, percipient, observer, beholder, percher, precursor, forerunner, primitive, primitive person, religious person, sensualist, traveler, traveller, unfortunate, unfortunate person, unwelcome person, persona non grata, unskilled person, worker, African, person of color, person of colour, Black, Black person, blackamoor, Negro, Negroid, White, White person, Caucasian, Amerindian, Native American, Slav, gentile, Jew, Hebrew, Israelite, Aries, Ram, Taurus, Bull, Gemini, Twin, Cancer, Crab, Leo, Lion, Virgo, Virgin, Libra, Balance, Scorpio, Scorpion, Sagittarius, Archer, Capricorn, Goat, Aquarius, Water Bearer, Pisces, Fish, abator, abjurer, abomination, abstainer, abstinent, nondrinker, achiever, winner, success, succeeder, acquaintance, friend, acquirer, active, actor, doer, adjudicator, admirer, adoptee, adversary, antagonist, opponent, opposer, resister, advisee, advocate, advocator, proponent, exponent, affiant, agnostic, doubter, amateur, ancient, anti, anti-American, apprehender, appreciator, archaist, arrogator, assessee, asthmatic, authority, autodidact, baby boomer, boomer, baby buster, buster, bad guy, bad person, baldhead, baldpate, baldy, balker, baulker, noncompliant, bullfighter, toreador, bather, beard, bedfellow, bereaved, bereaved person, best, topper, birth, biter, blogger, blond, blonde, bluecoat, bodybuilder, muscle builder, muscle-builder, musclebuilder, muscleman, bomber, brunet, brunette, candidate, prospect, case, cashier, celebrant, celebrator, celebrater, censor, chameleon, charmer, beguiler, child, baby, chutzpanik, closer, clumsy person, collector, aggregator, combatant, battler, belligerent, fighter, scrapper, complexifier, compulsive, computer user, contemplative, convert, copycat, imitator, emulator, ape, aper, counter, counterterrorist, crawler, creeper, creature, wight, creditor, cripple, dancer, social dancer, dead person, dead soul, deceased person, deceased, decedent, departed, deaf person, debaser, degrader, debtor, debitor, defecator, voider, shitter, delayer, deliverer, demander, dieter, differentiator, discriminator, disentangler, unraveler, unraveller, dissenter, dissident, protester, objector, divider, domestic partner, significant other, spousal equivalent, spouse equivalent, double, image, look-alike, dresser, dribbler, driveller, slobberer, drooler, drug user, substance abuser, user, dyslectic, ectomorph, effecter, effector, Elizabethan, emotional person, endomorph, enjoyer, enrollee, ethnic, explorer, extrovert, extravert, faddist, faller, fastener, fiduciary, first-rater, follower, free agent, free spirit, freewheeler, fugitive, runaway, fleer, gainer, weight gainer, gambler, gatekeeper, gatherer, good guy, good person, granter, greeter, saluter, welcomer, grinner, groaner, grunter, guesser, handicapped person, hater, heterosexual, heterosexual person, straight person, straight, homosexual, homophile, homo, gay, homunculus, hope, hoper, huddler, hugger, immune, insured, insured person, interpreter, introvert, Jat, jewel, gem, jumper, junior, killer, slayer, relative, relation, kink, kneeler, knocker, knower, large person, Latin, laugher, learner, scholar, assimilator, left-hander, lefty, southpaw, life, lightning rod, linguist, polyglot, literate, literate person, liver, longer, thirster, yearner, loose cannon, machine, mailer, malcontent, man, manipulator, man jack, married, masturbator, onanist, measurer, nonmember, mesomorph, mestizo, ladino, middlebrow, miracle man, miracle worker, misogamist, mixed-blood, modern, monolingual, mother hen, mouse, mutilator, maimer, mangler, namer, namesake, neglecter, neighbor, neighbour, neutral, nondescript, nonparticipant, nonpartisan, nonpartizan, nonperson, unperson, nonresident, nonsmoker, nude, nude person, nurser, occultist, optimist, orphan, ostrich, ouster, ejector, outcaste, outdoorsman, owner, possessor, pamperer, spoiler, coddler, mollycoddler, pansexual, pardoner, forgiver, excuser, partner, party, passer, personage, personification, perspirer, sweater, philosopher, picker, chooser, selector, pisser, urinator, planner, contriver, deviser, player, posturer, powderer, preserver, propositus, public relations person, pursuer, pussycat, quarter, quitter, radical, realist, rectifier, redhead, redheader, red-header, carrottop, registrant, reliever, allayer, comforter, repeater, rescuer, recoverer, saver, rester, restrainer, controller, revenant, rich person, wealthy person, have, right-hander, right hander, righthander, riser, romper, roundhead, ruler, swayer, rusher, scientist, scratcher, second-rater, mediocrity, seeder, cloud seeder, seeker, searcher, quester, segregate, sentimentalist, romanticist, sex object, sex symbol, shaker, mover and shaker, showman, signer, signatory, simpleton, simple, six-footer, skidder, slider, slipper, slave, sleepyhead, sloucher, small person, smasher, smiler, sneezer, sniffer, sniffler, sniveler, snuffer, snuffler, socializer, socialiser, sort, sounding board, sphinx, spitter, expectorator, sport, sprawler, spurner, squinter, squint-eye, stifler, smotherer, stigmatic, stigmatist, stooper, stranger, struggler, guinea pig, supernumerary, surrenderer, yielder, survivalist, survivor, suspect, tagger, tapper, tempter, termer, terror, scourge, threat, testator, testate, thin person, skin and bones, scrag, third-rater, thrower, tiger, totemist, toucher, transfer, transferee, transsexual, transexual, transvestite, cross-dresser, trier, attempter, essayer, turner, tyrant, undoer, opener, unfastener, untier, vanisher, victim, dupe, Victorian, visionary, visually impaired person, waiter, waker, walk-in, wanter, needer, ward, warrior, watcher, weakling, doormat, wuss, weasel, wiggler, wriggler, squirmer, winker, withholder, witness, worldling, yawner

12

noun

Meaning 12

a single organism

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: organism, being

Narrower terms: head

History

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh1 From Medieval Latin indīviduālis, from Latin indīviduum (“an indivisible thing”), neuter of indīviduus (“indivisible, undivided”), from in + dīviduus (“divisible”), from dīvidō (“divide”).

Across languages

Translations

240 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: individual — relating to a single person or thing
  • Azerbaijani: fərdi — relating to a single person or thing
  • Azerbaijani: şəxsi — relating to a single person or thing
  • Belarusian: асо́бны (asóbny) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Belarusian: аддзе́льны (addzjélʹny) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Belarusian: асабі́сты (asabísty) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Belarusian: індывідуа́льны (indyviduálʹny) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Bulgarian: отделен (otdelen) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Bulgarian: индивидуален (individualen) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Catalan: individual — relating to a single person or thing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 單個 /单个 (dāngè) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 獨個 /独个 (dúgè) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Czech: jednotlivý — relating to a single person or thing
  • Danish: individuel — relating to a single person or thing
  • Dutch: individueel — relating to a single person or thing
  • Finnish: yksittäinen — relating to a single person or thing
  • French: individuel — relating to a single person or thing
  • Galician: individual — relating to a single person or thing
  • Georgian: ინდივიდუალური (individualuri) — relating to a single person or thing
  • German: einzeln — relating to a single person or thing
  • German: individuell — relating to a single person or thing
  • German: Einzel- — relating to a single person or thing
  • Hungarian: egyes — relating to a single person or thing
  • Hungarian: egyedi — relating to a single person or thing
  • Hungarian: különálló — relating to a single person or thing
  • Italian: singolo — relating to a single person or thing
  • Italian: specifico — relating to a single person or thing
  • Japanese: 個々の (koko-no) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Latin: indīviduālis — relating to a single person or thing
  • Māori: takitahi — relating to a single person or thing
  • Eastern Mari: шке (ške) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Norman: îndividuel — relating to a single person or thing
  • Norwegian Bokmål: enkelt — relating to a single person or thing
  • Norwegian Bokmål: individuell — relating to a single person or thing
  • Old English: ānlīepe — relating to a single person or thing
  • Polish: indywidualny — relating to a single person or thing
  • Polish: oddzielny — relating to a single person or thing
  • Polish: pojedynczy — relating to a single person or thing
  • Portuguese: individual — relating to a single person or thing
  • Romanian: individual — relating to a single person or thing
  • Russian: отде́льный (otdélʹnyj) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Russian: индивидуа́льный (individuálʹnyj) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Russian: едини́чный (jediníčnyj) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Russian: ча́стный (částnyj) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Scottish Gaelic: air leth — relating to a single person or thing
  • Spanish: individual — relating to a single person or thing
  • Swedish: enskild — relating to a single person or thing
  • Turkish: bireysel — relating to a single person or thing
  • Ukrainian: особи́стий (osobýstyj) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Ukrainian: індивідуа́льний (indyviduálʹnyj) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Ukrainian: осі́бний (osíbnyj) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Ukrainian: окре́мий (okrémyj) — relating to a single person or thing
  • Azerbaijani: bir nəfərlik — intended for a single person
  • Azerbaijani: bir nəfər üçün nəzərdə tutulmuş — intended for a single person
  • Bulgarian: личен (ličen) — intended for a single person
  • Catalan: individual — intended for a single person
  • Chinese Mandarin: 個別 /个别 (gèbié) — intended for a single person
  • Czech: individuální — intended for a single person
  • Dutch: individueel — intended for a single person
  • Finnish: yksilöllinen — intended for a single person
  • Galician: individual — intended for a single person
  • German: individuell — intended for a single person
  • Hungarian: egyéni — intended for a single person
  • Italian: individuale — intended for a single person
  • Italian: personale — intended for a single person
  • Latin: proprius — intended for a single person
  • Eastern Mari: шке (ške) — intended for a single person
  • Norwegian Bokmål: individuell — intended for a single person
  • Polish: indywidualny — intended for a single person
  • Portuguese: individual — intended for a single person
  • Romanian: individual — intended for a single person
  • Russian: индивидуа́льный (individuálʹnyj) — intended for a single person
  • Russian: персона́льный (personálʹnyj) — intended for a single person
  • Russian: ли́чный (líčnyj) — intended for a single person
  • Russian: ча́стный (částnyj) — intended for a single person
  • Scottish Gaelic: air leth — intended for a single person
  • Spanish: individual — intended for a single person
  • Spanish: propio, personal — intended for a single person
  • Spanish: personal — intended for a single person
  • Swedish: individuell — intended for a single person
  • Thai: เฉพาะตัว — intended for a single person
  • Afrikaans: individu — person considered alone
  • Albanian: individ — person considered alone
  • Arabic: فَرْد (fard) — person considered alone
  • Arabic: شَخْص (šaḵṣ) — person considered alone
  • Armenian: անհատ (anhat) — person considered alone
  • Armenian: առանձնյակ (aṙanjnyak) — person considered alone
  • Azerbaijani: fərd — person considered alone
  • Azerbaijani: şəxs — person considered alone
  • Azerbaijani: individuum — person considered alone
  • Belarusian: індыві́д (indyvíd) — person considered alone
  • Bengali: ব্যক্তি (bêkti) — person considered alone
  • Bengali: শখ্স (śokhs) — person considered alone
  • Bulgarian: индиви́д (indivíd) — person considered alone
  • Burmese: ပုဂ္ဂိုလ် (pugguil) — person considered alone
  • Catalan: individu — person considered alone
  • Chinese Cantonese: 個體 /个体 (go3 tai2) — person considered alone
  • Chinese Cantonese: 個人 /个人 (go3 jan4) — person considered alone
  • Chinese Cantonese: 私人 (si1 jan4) — person considered alone
  • Chinese Mandarin: 個體 /个体 (gètǐ) — person considered alone
  • Chinese Mandarin: 個人 /个人 (gèrén) — person considered alone
  • Chinese Mandarin: 私人 (sīrén) — person considered alone
  • Czech: jedinec — person considered alone
  • Czech: jednotlivec — person considered alone
  • Danish: individ — person considered alone
  • Dutch: enkeling — person considered alone
  • Dutch: individu — person considered alone
  • Esperanto: unuopulo — person considered alone
  • Estonian: indiviid — person considered alone
  • Finnish: yksilö — person considered alone
  • French: individu — person considered alone
  • Galician: individuo — person considered alone
  • Georgian: პიროვნება (ṗirovneba) — person considered alone
  • Georgian: ინდივიდი (individi) — person considered alone
  • German: Individuum — person considered alone
  • Greek: άτομο (átomo) — person considered alone
  • Hebrew: פְּרָט (prat) — person considered alone
  • Hindi: व्यक्ति (vyakti) — person considered alone
  • Hindi: फ़र्द (fard) — person considered alone
  • Hindi: शख़्स (śaxs) — person considered alone
  • Hungarian: individuum — person considered alone
  • Hungarian: egyén — person considered alone
  • Icelandic: einstaklingur — person considered alone
  • Ido: individuo — person considered alone
  • Italian: individuo — person considered alone
  • Italian: soggetto — person considered alone
  • Japanese: 個人 (kojin) — person considered alone
  • Japanese: 個体 (kotai) — person considered alone
  • Japanese: 私人 (shijin) — person considered alone
  • Kazakh: жеке тұлға (jeke tūlğa) — person considered alone
  • Kazakh: жеке түр (jeke tür) — person considered alone
  • Kazakh: жеке адам (jeke adam) — person considered alone
  • Kazakh: индивидуум (individuum) — person considered alone
  • Khmer: បុគ្គល (bokkŭəl) — person considered alone
  • Korean: 개인 (gaein) — person considered alone
  • Korean: 개체 (gaeche) — person considered alone
  • Korean: 사인 (sain) — person considered alone
  • Northern Kurdish: ferd — person considered alone
  • Northern Kurdish: şexs — person considered alone
  • Kyrgyz: индивидуум (individuum) — person considered alone
  • Kyrgyz: индивид (individ) — person considered alone
  • Lao: ບຸກຄົນ (buk khon) — person considered alone
  • Lao: ພົນ (phon) — person considered alone
  • Latin: indīviduum — person considered alone
  • Latvian: indivīds — person considered alone
  • Lithuanian: individas — person considered alone
  • Macedonian: индивидуа (individua) — person considered alone
  • Macedonian: поединец (poedinec) — person considered alone
  • Malay: individu — person considered alone
  • Māori: tangata — person considered alone
  • Māori: kiritahi — person considered alone
  • Mongolian: хувь хүн (xuvʹ xün) — person considered alone
  • Navajo: hwó — person considered alone
  • Norwegian Bokmål: individ — person considered alone
  • Norwegian Bokmål: enkeltperson — person considered alone
  • Norwegian Bokmål: menneske — person considered alone
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: individ — person considered alone
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: enkeltperson — person considered alone
  • Pali: puggala — person considered alone
  • Pashto: فرد (fard) — person considered alone
  • Pashto: شخص (šaxs) — person considered alone
  • Iranian Persian: فَرْد (fard) — person considered alone
  • Iranian Persian: شَخْص (šaxs) — person considered alone
  • Plautdietsch: Persoon (nds) — person considered alone
  • Polish: indywiduum — person considered alone
  • Polish: jednostka — person considered alone
  • Portuguese: indivíduo — person considered alone
  • Romanian: individ — person considered alone
  • Russian: индиви́дуум (indivíduum) — person considered alone
  • Russian: лицо́ (licó) — person considered alone
  • Russian: ли́чность (líčnostʹ) — person considered alone
  • Russian: осо́ба (osóba) — person considered alone
  • Russian: индиви́д (indivíd) — person considered alone
  • Russian: персо́на (persóna) — person considered alone
  • Russian: о́собь (ósobʹ) — person considered alone
  • Sanskrit: व्यक्ति (vyakti) — person considered alone
  • Serbo-Croatian: поједи́нац — person considered alone
  • Serbo-Croatian: поједи́нка — person considered alone
  • Serbo-Croatian: индиви́дуа — person considered alone
  • Serbo-Croatian: pojedínac — person considered alone
  • Serbo-Croatian: pojedinka — person considered alone
  • Serbo-Croatian: indivídua — person considered alone
  • Slovak: jedinec — person considered alone
  • Slovak: jednotlivec — person considered alone
  • Slovene: posameznik — person considered alone
  • Slovene: posameznica — person considered alone
  • Spanish: individuo — person considered alone
  • Swedish: individ — person considered alone
  • Swedish: enskild — person considered alone
  • Tajik: фард (fard) — person considered alone
  • Tajik: шахс (šaxs) — person considered alone
  • Tatar: шәхес (şäxes) — person considered alone
  • Telugu: వ్యక్తి (vyakti) — person considered alone
  • Tewa: tʼowa — person considered alone
  • Thai: บุคคล (bùk-kon) — person considered alone
  • Turkish: birey — person considered alone
  • Turkish: şahıs — person considered alone
  • Turkish: fert — person considered alone
  • Ottoman Turkish: شخص (şahs) — person considered alone
  • Turkmen: şahs — person considered alone
  • Ukrainian: індиві́д (indyvíd) — person considered alone
  • Ukrainian: індиві́дуум (indyvíduum) — person considered alone
  • Urdu: فَرْد (fard) — person considered alone
  • Urdu: شَخْص (śaxs) — person considered alone
  • Uyghur: شەخس (shexs) — person considered alone
  • Uzbek: fard — person considered alone
  • Uzbek: individuum — person considered alone
  • Uzbek: shaxs — person considered alone
  • Vietnamese: cá nhân — person considered alone
  • Vietnamese: cá thể — person considered alone
  • Welsh: unigolyn — person considered alone
  • Afrikaans: individu — single human as legal subject
  • Azerbaijani: fiziki şəxs — single human as legal subject
  • Bulgarian: ли́чност (líčnost) — single human as legal subject
  • Finnish: henkilö — single human as legal subject
  • Finnish: luonnollinen henkilö — single human as legal subject
  • Georgian: ფიზიკური პირი (piziḳuri ṗiri) — single human as legal subject
  • Georgian: ცალკე პირი (calḳe ṗiri) — single human as legal subject
  • Hungarian: magánszemély — single human as legal subject
  • Hungarian: magánember — single human as legal subject
  • Japanese: 個人 (kojin) — single human as legal subject
  • Korean: 개인 (gaein) — single human as legal subject
  • Māori: kiritahi — single human as legal subject
  • Norwegian Bokmål: enkeltperson — single human as legal subject
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: enkeltperson — single human as legal subject
  • Polish: osoba fizyczna — single human as legal subject
  • Russian: физи́ческое лицо́ (fizíčeskoje licó) — single human as legal subject
  • Finnish: yksilö — individual object as contrasted to a class
  • Hungarian: egyed — individual object as contrasted to a class
  • Latin: specialis — individual object as contrasted to a class
  • Norwegian Bokmål: individ — individual object as contrasted to a class
  • Polish: indywidualny — individual object as contrasted to a class
  • Polish: osobnik — individual object as contrasted to a class
  • Portuguese: indivíduo — individual object as contrasted to a class
  • French: individu — element belonging to a population
  • Galician: individuo — element belonging to a population
  • Hungarian: egyed — element belonging to a population
  • Italian: individuo — element belonging to a population
  • Portuguese: indivíduo — element belonging to a population
  • Spanish: individuo — element belonging to a population
Real reading context

individual in complete knowledge articles